Queens’ first Vietnam War Memorial finally opens in Elmhurst
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An Elmhurst Park visitor reads the names of soldiers from Queens who died during the Vietnam War inscribed on the park’s new Vietnam War Memorial. Eagle photos by Walter Karling
By David Brand
After decades of advocacy, Queens’ long-awaited Vietnam War Memorial opened Dec. 20 at Elmhurst Park.
The event attracted dozens of local leaders, Vietnam veterans and families of soldiers who served in the long war. The memorial — two walls facing each other, with a flagpole and manicured landscaping — features the names of the 371 Queens service members who died during the Vietnam War or who are classified as missing in action. The memorial sits on the northwest corner of Elmhurst Park, near the intersection of Grand Avenue and 79th Street.
Queens’ new Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial opened on Dec. 20.
“The Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial pays tribute to local heroes and publicly honors their sacrifice,” said Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver. “This memorial will commemorate their bravery and legacy in Elmhurst Park for generations to come.”
Efforts to build the memorial began well before construction started last year. Fundraising lasted years, said Vietnam Veterans of America National President John Rowan.
John Toro, a Marine Corps veteran who died in 2014, was the “prime mover of the project,” Rowand told the Eagle .
Local leaders and Vietnam veterans cut the ribbon on Queens’ new Vietnam War Memorial.
“It’s been a long haul and the result of a lot of work from a lot of people,” said Rowan, a Middle Village resident who grew up in Elmhurst. “It’s recognition of the service of the men and women of Queens and it’s long overdue recognition.”
Nearly 59,000 veterans call Queens home, the most of any borough. The memorial will also recognized soldiers who “succumbed to illnesses back home after their service,” Rowan said.
“For many, it has taken more than 50 years for their sacrifice to be recognized,” he added. “Like Queens today, the heroes came from all around the world to serve their adopted country."
